


My Bard in Shining Armor

by Wholockian16



Category: One Piece
Genre: Bittersweet, F/M, First Kiss, Pre time skip, i had a bunch of emotions and had to put them SOMEWHERE, please this was just an excuse to make them be cute together, this came to me in a dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23104984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wholockian16/pseuds/Wholockian16
Summary: Usopp goes to visit Kaya one last time before he leaves. However, it seems like Kaya has something to say.
Relationships: Kaya/Usopp, Usopp/Kaya
Kudos: 15





	My Bard in Shining Armor

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place right before Usopp leaves for the Grand Line with Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates.

After having finished the arrangements with Merry for the gift to the straw hats, Kaya retired to her room for the evening. She had just begun brushing her hair, when she heard a familiar tapping at her window. Rushing over, she threw the windows wide open for her friend. “Usopp! Shouldn’t you be resting?”  
“The great Captain Usopp does not need to rest! Besides, I have to tell you about my greatest adventure of all time! It’s about the time that I-“  
“Usopp?”  
“Hmm? What’s up Kaya?”  
“I think...I’d like to try and tell the story this time.” 

He blinked, stunned by the turn of events. “O-okay.”  
“Please come in and sit.”  
“T-that’s okay, I’m fine over here.”  
“At least come onto the window sill.”  
Hesitantly, he crossed from the branch to the window. Sitting down, he rearranged his gangly legs, leaning forward, keen on hearing what she had to say. Kaya took a deep breath before she began. 

“Once upon a time, there was a kingdom. It wasn’t a very large kingdom, but the people were happy and the lands were prosperous. At the top of the hill stood the King’s castle. His majesty lived there with the sole heir to the throne, his princess, his wife having passed some time ago. 

One day, tragedy struck and he joined his wife leaving their daughter behind in the care of the royal advisor and the rest of the castles trusted staff. The princess, sick over her loss, became bedridden for a very long time. 

On a particularly warm evening she was allowed to have the windows of her room open. Seeing the outside world so close to her yet so far from her grasp, caused her to cry. She wept until she heard the rustle of the tree across from the window. When she looked up she saw a boy about her age, staring at her with brows furrowed. ‘My lady, what ails you?’ 

She was shocked, did he not know who she was? What she had been through? Assuming he was making fun of her, she asked that he leave her home at once. Instead, he fully seated himself on the closest branch and gave her a warm smile. 

‘I may not know who you are, but have you ever heard the tale of the three-headed dragon who lives up yonder?’ 

As it turns out, he was a traveling bard who happened to pass by and heard her tears. He couldn’t pass up helping a young maiden in need, so there he was, spinning tales of his many adventures around the world. The more she listened to his tales and travels, the more she could feel herself smile. The laughing soon followed. 

Their encounters continued daily. He’d go on about his almost unbelievable adventures, and she’d listen contently. Happy to have made a new friend. 

One day, on his way to see her, he overheard of a plot to kill the princess to inherit the crown. When he looked around to see who was speaking he couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the Royal Advisor! He couldn’t stand by any longer and lept into action. The Bard whacked him with his lyre sending him reeling to the left. Unfortunately for him, the Advisor was not alone. Taking him by surprise, the other man tackled the Bard, knocking him unconscious and locking him away in the cellar of the castle. 

When the Bard came to he didn’t waste a moment and began working on his escape from the cellar. Looking around he saw the stairs leading to a hatch in the ceiling. 

It seemed as though it was too late. A few of the castle's servants were groaning along the edge of the floor, some hurt worse than others. Ahead of them, the princess lay on the floor, cold and unmoving. The Bard, furious, turned on the Advisor, grabbed a decorative sword off the mantlepiece, and swung it. The Advisor countered with his own sword the metal striking with a loud CLANG. The Advisor swung low, nearly taking the Bard’s feet. He countered jabbing at his chest, slicing his coat along the edge. 

The Bard moved up the stairs in an attempt to gain the high ground, the Advisor quick on his heels. The Bard at the last step tripped, stumbling into the table under the window. With a low laugh, the Advisor raised his sword aiming to plunge it into the young mans heart. The young man was quick on his feet and dodged the stab. Grabbing the vase from the table, he spun around the Advisor and brought the vase down on his head ultimate forcing his face to collide with the table below. 

He struggled to get back up giving the Bard enough time to aim his sword directly at his neck. He kept it close to the skin, threatening to slice at any sudden movement. He called over to one of the other castle servants who seemed frozen in fear, instructing her to grab something strong enough to bind the Advisor. The servant scrambled to her feet quickly making his way down to the cellar. She returned with heavy shackles and with shaking hands, managed to bind his wrists ankles. The Bard yanked him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to the cellar locking him up until they could properly decide what to do with the traitor.

The Bard quickly made his way back to the princess, who by now was surrounded by her servants. One of them had grabbed a Doctor while he was away. The whole castle seemed to go still while they waited for his diagnosis for they were certain she had been killed. With a heavy sign the doctor turned to face the small crowd and informed them she was still alive but unable to wake. The Advisor had taken an extra precaution and enchanted the poison he had given her. A curse that could be broken with a kiss from the one she loves. 

The servants looked around confused. The young princess had not stepped out of the castle in many a year, who could have possibly stolen her heart? The Bard did not care who it could have possibly been, all he knew was that he had to find them and bring them back to her as soon as possible.

The Bard went around the small kingdom in search for the one his princess loved. After a month of trying, he ran out of eligible bachelors from the kingdom. Perhaps the love does not need to be romantic? He thought, and continued his search throughout her home, gathering all the people she was closest to. Still he had no luck on waking her. Determined to talk to her once more he gathered up his belongings to set out and find someone who would lift the curse. Before he left, he knelt down beside her bed, and promised he would return for her. He placed a kiss on her cheek and turned to leave when a hand gently grabbed his shirt. She looked up at him, smiling and said, ‘I knew it would be you.’”

Kaya placed her hands in her lap as the silence stretched between them. “I know it’s not your adventures but...” 

Usopp, still leaning forward, eyes wide open, cheeks slightly flushed, blinked out of his trance. “Wait, wait wait wait, is that it? What happened to the Bard and the Princess?!”  
“Well...that’s for the Bard to decide.” 

She looked up at him, color fading into her cheeks. Usopp floundered reeling back slightly towards the open window. 

“K-kaya, you can't possibly mean...I mean there’s no way someone as beautiful as you!....and someone like me...”  
“You don’t need to stay.”  
Usopp froze and Kaya continued.

“I won’t stop you from leaving and I’m not trying to make you stay. I just, needed you to know....that there’s always a place here for you...if you ever want to come back.”  
“How did...”  
She stood up crossing the few paces to the window, taking his hand in hers. “You couldn’t stay here forever, not with all those amazing adventures waiting for you out there. You need to go and I understand, but I couldn’t let you leave without knowing.” A sad smile crossed her face as she stared down at his hand. His eyes never strayed from her face. In a single movement, he landed his feet on the floor pulling her into his arms. They stayed there in complete silence wrapped in the warmth of each other’s presence. 

“I....I can’t be your bard Kaya.” He gently moved away meeting her gaze, eyebrows knit together. 

“But...” he continued, hands delicately moving to her face, a gentle reminder to keep her eyes on him. Usopp licked his lips, fidgeting slightly in place. She placed a hand over his reassuring his next move. Kaya closed her eyes and let herself be guided by Usopp. The kiss lasted a lifetime yet was over before they knew it. They pulled apart without a sound, Kaya’s face still cupped in Usopp’s hands. “I will come back here, one day, and I’ll be a brave warrior of the sea! You’ll hear about me from halfway across the ocean! I swear it!” 

His face gleamed with confidence. Kaya couldn’t help herself and began to laugh embracing him once again. “Hey, don’t laugh Kaya! I mean it! I’m gonna be the greatest warior this world has ever seen!”

She spoke into his overalls, “I believe you. I’m just going to miss you...and your stories of course.” 

He placed his hands on her shoulders nudging her off of him. “When I get back I’ll have hundreds, no, THOUSANDS, of new stories to tell you.”  
“I’m holding you to it.” 

With a final smile they parted ways. Usopp was halfway out the window before he stopped himself. “Hey Kaya?” 

He turned around standing tall, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. “Thanks for the adventure.” 

With that he lept over to the branch, scurrying down the tree. Kaya leaned out the window, watching as he disappeared over the hill. She lingered there long after he was gone. With a soft sigh, she closed the windows and made her way to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Y’all this came to me in a weird state of being half asleep yet still awake. I don’t usually write fanfiction, words aren’t my forte, but this one wouldn’t stop bugging me till I wrote it. So I did... in the notes section of my phone...I apologize if the format is weird. Hope you liked it! :)


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